Dogs are a very oral breed of creature. Dog toys are always carried in a dog's mouth. And, unfortunately, some dogs will contract heartworms. (Heartworms are parasites that inhibit the hearts and lungs of infected dogs and cats.)
Heartworm Prevention
All dogs and cats should be tested every year for heartworms regardless if they have been given a heartworm preventative. Heartworm prevention begins with a blood test to see if parasites are present. If your dog is parasite free, a prophylactic medication can be used to prevent heartworm infection.
Heartgard for Dogs
Heartgard is one of the most common medications used to prevent heartworm disease in dogs. It is produced by the animal health company Merial. is approved for use in dogs of all weights, sizes, and breeds of dogs including Collies and other potentially ivermectin-sensitive breeds. Dogs over 100 pounds are given a combination of tablets.
Heartgard works not by totally preventing the presence of heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) in the host animal, but by eliminating the tissue stage of the worm and blocking development to harmful stages.
For dogs, is available in a once-monthly tablet or beef flavored chewable and contains ivermectin as the active ingredient. For dogs that normally swallow treats whole, tablets can be broken into pieces. And combined with pyrantel pamoate (Heartgard Plus), it also protects against hookworm and roundworm in dogs.
Heartgard's main advantages are it's easy to give (picky dogs eat it), and it's made by the same company as Frontline, so sometimes you can get a rebate if you buy both at the same time.
Precaution: comes in various dosages of invermectin to work with different sized dogs and is given monthly. Higher doses in dogs may cause tremors, dilated pupils, and loss of body weight or death.
When it comes to protecting your dog against heartworms, you can’t be too careful. Fortunately, prevention is easy with products like or its alternatives. When you consider the cost of treating a dog with a heartworm infestation, a difficult disease to get under control, is well worth the price.
But remember, is available only through a licensed veterinarian. And all dogs should be tested for heartworm infection before starting a preventive program.
